Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 evaluation: An excessively business-like computer

For those who’re in search of a 14-inch laptop, which is most likely probably the most usual mode issue round as of late, there are specific manufacturers it’s possible you’ll gravitate towards. Dell’s XPS lineup, HP’s OmniBook, and Lenovo’s Yoga spring to mind. Every other is the ThinkPad, an iconic emblem that is going long ago and is in an instant recognizable. The ThinkPad has a faithful fan bottom, nevertheless it additionally has a tendency to enchantment to one in all two varieties of customers.

I lately reviewed the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13, a ThinkPad that’s aimed toward a large person marketplace. The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is indistinguishable in design, and it’s aimed extra at industrial consumers. It’s a really nice computer, held again simplest through battery hour that doesn’t stock up with the contest.

Specifications and configuration

The ThinkPad T14s has a configuration these days priced at $1,506 (on sale from $2,739) for an AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 chipset, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 14.0-inch FHD+ IPS show. The Lenovo internet gather now and again has bizarre pricing, and that is one such case, the place that configuration is more economical than you’ll have the ability to configure. One choice, for instance, is to improve to 64GB of RAM for an remaining $337.

Alternatively, maximum crowd will purchase the computer via Lenovo’s company buying program and gained’t pay no matter’s the listing value. That suggests costs will range in response to the selection of gadgets bought, which is hard to mirror right here. Suffice it to mention that you’ll be able to get indistinguishable elements for much less with a consumer-focused computer.

Design

The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 seems to be a accumulation just like the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 that I lately reviewed. In truth, even supposing I don’t have them sitting facet through facet, I’m quite positive that they might be tricky to inform aside even up alike. They each have the similar all-black ThinkPad aesthetic with a number of purple accents — the purple LED “i” at the brand at the lid, the TrackPoint nubbin in the midst of the keyboard, and a couple of others — that put together it in an instant recognizable as a member of the old-school ThinkPad lineup. ThinkPad fanatics will find it irresistible, and it’s sexy enough quantity that almost all computer patrons will most definitely adore it. The ThinkPad Z13, for instance, displays off Lenovo’s motion towards a extra “modern” design, however there’s not anything unsuitable with the ThinkPad T14s’s design.

With regards to its develop feature, Lenovo impaired its mixture of aluminum and carbon fiber that leads to a slightly tough development with simply the slightest little bit of bending within the lid and keyboard deck. I’ve impaired pc which might be extra cast, together with the HP EliteBook X G1a that has 0 bending, flexing, or twisting. That places the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 an excessively modest step in the back of, however nonetheless slightly just right. The hinge calls for two arms to clear the lid, nevertheless it’s surely not anything to bitch extra about.

The govern and base bezels are a tiny thick, in comparison to the thin facet bezels, and that’s even with Lenovo’s opposite notch on the govern of the show that homes the webcam and alternative electronics. The bezels are plastic, too, which I continuously in finding detracts from a top of the range glance. Even so, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is slightly sized in width and intensity, and it’s slightly moveable with out profitable any awards in thickness or weight. The Apple MacBook Air 15, for instance, is a accumulation thinner at simply 0.45 inches.

Keyboard and touchpad

The keyboard is the ordinary old-school ThinkPad model with extremely sculpted keycaps and quite a lot of key spacing. Not like some I’ve impaired within the occasion, the switches in this one don’t require extra power however are sunny and snappy. That makes for an excessively assured really feel that’s other from Apple’s Enchanment Keyboard with its shallow go, which is my ordinary favourite, however simply as just right.

The touchpad is a mechanical model that’s wonderful, even supposing the 2 buttons supporting the TrackPoint nubbin controller in the midst of the keyboard takes up slightly of length. That makes the touchpad slightly too tiny, and week Lenovo would possibly deal an choice for a haptic model (I’m no longer positive in the event that they do or will), it is a tiny little bit of a unhappiness.

Connectivity and webcam

Connectivity is a mixture of trendy and legacy ports. Strangely, there are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4; maximum AMD-based pc virtue USB4 in lieu than Intel’s usual. Wi-fi connectivity is absolutely latest, and there’s a nano-SIM slot for not obligatory always-connected web connectivity.

The webcam is a high-resolution 5MP type that fits up smartly with the quick Neural Processing Unit (NPU) working at 45 tera operations consistent with 2d (TOPS), exceeding Microsoft’s 40 TOPS requirement for its Copilot+ PC AI initiative. That suggests it helps the improved videoconferencing options of Copilot+, in conjunction with alternative AI options coming ill the street, with rapid and environment friendly on-device processing.

Efficiency

The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 makes use of an AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 chipset, which uas 8 cores and 16 fables, working at as much as 5GHz. It makes use of 28 watts of energy that may ramp as much as 54 watts, that means it’s aimed extra at efficiency than potency when put next to a few alternative brandnew chipsets. It’s rapid at CPU duties, as we will see in our benchmarks, maintaining with all however the the quickest Qualcomm Snapdragon X chipsets and beating out Intel Lunar Pond.

The AMD PRO options ruthless the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 can plug into complicated endeavor safety and control environments. That makes the ThinkPad a stunning choice for massive corporations that want to supremacy quite a lot of machines.

As you’ll be able to see, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 may be very rapid for difficult productiveness workflows, however its Radon 880M built-in graphics don’t do a accumulation for video games or creativity apps that may virtue the GPU. It’s round the similar CPU pace as Apple’s M3 chipset, however the M3’s GPU cores are significantly sooner. General, the ThinkPad is a rapid

Battery hour

The AMD chipset is aimed toward efficiency in lieu than potency, which isn’t like Intel Lunar Pond and Qualcomm Snapdragon X, either one of which can be extremely serious about expanding battery hour. That doesn’t ruthless it may possibly’t squeeze out some longevity, as demonstrated through the Acer Swift 14 AI with the Ryzen AI 9 365.

Alternatively, for some reason why, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 didn’t do really well. It couldn’t put together it to 8 hours in our internet surfing check and even 9 hours in our video looping check. That’s a accumulation shorter than each and every alternative computer within the comparability staff, and a accumulation extra like used Home windows pc. Apple’s MacBook Air M3 rest the most productive general performer.

Show and audio

There’s simply two show choices with the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. Each are 14.0-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS panels, one touch-enabled and one non-touch. In my view, I believe FHD+ isn’t slightly smart enough quantity with 14-inch shows as a result of I stare at phrases all while and abhor pixellated textual content, however maximum crowd are most likely k with it. And IPS is helping with battery hour over OLED.

It is a superb IPS show, in form with what maximum producers have impaired for the closing a number of years. The show is shining at 396 nits, smartly above the 300-nit baseline that’s been our usual for years now and most definitely must be adjusted. Distinction is magnificient at 1,510:1, above our 1,000:1 threshold however inferior to the inky blacks OLED supplies. Colours had been large enough quantity at 100% of sRGB, 76% of AdobeRGB, and 76% of DCI-P3, once more no longer as dynamic as OLED and no longer stunning for creators, however superb for productiveness virtue. And colour accuracy used to be just right at 1.52 (lower than 2.0 is greater than sufficient).

In the end, it is a superb IPS show that can please the computer’s industrial customers. Creators will wish to glance in other places, however the computer isn’t supposed for that more or less paintings in any match. Audio is solely k, with two downward-firing audio system which might be just right enough quantity for conventional virtue. Headphones are really useful for anything.

Perfect for occupation customers who love ThinkPads

The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is a really nice computer with one obvious flaw. It’s constructed smartly, seems to be just right, has a stunning keyboard and powerful efficiency, and it’s absolute best for massive corporations with a accumulation of pc to supremacy.

On the identical month, its battery hour isn’t stunning. And, it’s slightly dear, even supposing massive industrial consumers who purchase it is going to accomplish that at higher staff acquire costs. So it’s a very easy computer to suggest for industrial patrons however no longer as simple for mainstream customers.